


The Liars

by GayBaeShipping



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Celty has her head, Eventual Heiwajima Shizuo/Orihara Izaya, F/M, Lovesick Shinra, M/M, Murder Mystery, Secrets, Uninteresed Celty, Updates Monthly, based on a book, everyone has secrets, little bit OOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:21:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27023446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GayBaeShipping/pseuds/GayBaeShipping
Summary: Shinra Kishitani, the geek, has never broken a rule in his life.Shizuo Heiwajima, the jock, only knows who he is during a football game.Celty Sturluson, the princess, is trying to hold together her life.Izaya Orihara, the criminal, is one step away from juvie.And gossip blogger Kasane Kujiragi, creator of the gossip blog 'Cracks' won't ever speak to them or about them again. Because 24 hours before she posts their secrets online, she dies. Investigators say it wasn't an accident. Every single one of them is a suspect.
Relationships: Heiwajima Shizuo/Orihara Izaya, Kishitani Shinra/Celty Sturluson, Orihara Izaya/Shiki Haruya
Comments: 9
Kudos: 20





	1. Kasane Says...

**Author's Note:**

> Some changes:  
> This is set in high school. Celty has her head. Kasane is a major character in this. Every person has secrets in this story, and they're important to the storyline. A few characters have traits not found in the manga or anime (like allergies and home issues and gender identities, etc.)
> 
> This fanfiction is based on an amazing book I recently read called 'One of Us Is Lying'. Same storyline; someone dies before sharing their secrets. The police conclude it is a murder and they're all suspects. Which one would you believe?

**Shinra**   
**Monday, October 15, 4:25 PM**

Not everyone has the energy to read _Cracks_ , but I always do. Not to be an asshole and make fun of the people featured (this week it's Mikage Sharaku, exposed for a sex tape; Hiroto Shijima, exposed for trying to get half the student body high; Erika Karisawa, exposed for supposedly getting pregnant; and Shizuo Nobusuma, exposed for dressing as other students to trick them). But because I am genuinely interested in what Kasane Kujiragi has dug up on people, and used to ruin their lives. I feel bad for Erika at least, who doesn't deserve to be featured on _Cracks_. I always feel bad when girls get featured for sex scandals. Slut-shaming isn't exactly uncommon in this school. "That's old news, Kishitani-san," a voice says behind me and I lower my phone, cursing for being caught by none other than Kasane Kujiragi herself. "Wait till you see tomorrow's post!"

I turn and glare at her. "Whose lives are you running now, Kujiragi-san?" I snap.

She winked. "A few close friends of yours have some interesting side stories," she said, grinning. I shrug, uninterested. I only have three friends, two of whom fight all the time; Kadota Kyohei, Izaya Orihara and Shizuo Heiwajima. It's hard hanging out with them all at once because Izaya and Shizuo always fight, usually physically. But what they do in their personal life is none of my business. "Where are you going?"

"Detention," I respond curtly. "I was caught with Kazamoto-san's phone." I turn away and to my dismay she follows.

"You too?" she asks, skipping ahead happily. "I got caught with Nobusuma-san's."

We open the door to the room primarily used for detention. We aren't alone. There's Izaya and Shizuo. Izaya is often seen in here, always for something like selling weed or carrying more than one phone around. Shizuo isn't so often, but often enough that I wonder if he lost his temper and punched someone again. And there, sitting in the sunlight, is the school's most beautiful girl, the one I've been pining after since I was in 7th grade, Celty Sturluson.

She is beautiful. She has brown hair that looks almost ginger and bright blue eyes. It's beautiful. She looks over at the sound of the door open, smiles at me (oh my god, oh my god, oh my god) and glares at Kasane. "What are you in here for?" she says curtly to Kasane.

"I got caught with Nobusuma-san's phone," she shrugs as if she doesn't care what Celty thinks of her and sits across from Izaya. She reports on Izaya all the time (for being in the drug trade), and it's a good thing she only uses initials, though everyone has guessed who 'IO' is by now. "You?"

"None of your business," Celty snaps. I never understood why Celty hated Kasane when she never reported her for anything. Until I learned Celty had a friend who was exposed for cross-dressing on _Cracks_ (which Kasane runs) and committed suicide. I would sure as hell be pissed if Shizuo or Izaya or Kadota was reported for something and they couldn't handle it. It just shows how much Kasane doesn't care about others.

I sit beside Shizuo, who is surprisingly closer to Izaya than I would've suspected. "What about you? Did you punch someone again?" I ask.

"Yeah," Shizuo mumbles. "Izaya."

I glance over at Izaya and sure enough, he has a massive bruise on his stomach (which he always shows, seeing as his shirt is short). "Shizu-chan is so offended by everything," he says. "All I did was talk to Kadota about him."

"You called me a proto-something-or-other!" Shizuo snaps. "And don't call me that name!"

"What?" Izaya says cheekily, smirking. "Shizu-chan? I called you a protozoan. But you're too stupid to remember it, aren't you?"

Shizuo glares at him, and I can see a vein pop in his neck. "Relax, you two," I say. "We've just got to get this done, right?"

And right on cue, the teacher walks in. His real name is Mr Sagamoto. But everyone calls him Mr Saggymoto because he's fat. No wonder he's always so grumpy. He hates students, and he hates technology. Probably because he's a boomer but whatever. "Alright, I'm not in a good mood," he snaps as soon as he walks in.

"No change there," Izaya whispers. Everyone giggles, except Shizuo, but his lips twitch.

"Shut up, Mr Orihara!" Mr ~~Saggymoto~~ Sagamoto snarls. "Or I'll give you more detentions and you can spend all of your lunchbreaks and after school in here." Izaya shrugs, but Mr ~~Saggymoto~~ Sagamoto doesn't notice, as he's already turned to the board, and begins writing on it. When he turns around, he grabs a stack of paper and slams one down in front of us all. "You are to write that exactly."

On the board he has written:  
_Write a 500-word essay on why technology is destroying young minds._

Izaya rolls his eyes but picks up his pencil case and looks for a pen. He is surprisingly obedient towards Mr ~~Saggy~~ Sagamoto, even though he is always disrespectful about him behind his back. I never understood why. Shizuo grumbles about missing football practise, and turns to his own paper, tapping it unhappily. I turn to look at Celty, who has already started writing, his wrist flicking in fluent motions, drawing kanji and hiragana like she's a calligrapher. Kasane looks at us all like we're disgusting and stands. "Where are you going, Miss Kujiragi?" Mr Sagamoto says, head snapping up like a whip.

"I'm just going to get a drink of water," she says cooly, walking to the plastic cups stacked against the wall. Izaya frowns but says nothing. "Do you guys want some?"

We all shake our heads, and Shizuo also frowns at her. He and Izaya make eye contact, as if sharing a confusion they have together, and look back down at their papers. Mr Sagamoto tracks what Kasane does with his eyes, and only relaxes when she sits back down, cup on the side of her desk. She doesn't continue writing, though. Instead she looks around at everyone. "Hey, Orihara-san," she says.

He glares at her, and her cup suspiciously (why?) as Mr Sagamoto looks up. "Quiet, Miss Kujiragi!" he snaps.

She ignores him and reaches over with the toe of her Converse and nudges his shin. "What?" he asks, glaring even more. Celty looks up to watch what they're doing, and I wish so desperately she'd look over and smile at me. It would make my day ten million times better.

"Did you plant the phones in our bags?" she asks, grinning cheekily, and ignoring Mr Sagamoto glaring at her. "Everyone knows you have more than one."

"Why would I plant it in your bag?" he asks, looking bored. "There's no benefit to it."

"Maybe you just wanted company for whatever fuck-up you did today," she says casually.

Izaya glares and Shizuo twitches beside me. Across the room, Celty is glaring at Kasane. "I mean, it makes sense," she continued. "You fuck up, you're stuck in a room with only one teacher, who acts like a paedophile -" Mr Sagamoto goes red in the face and looks like he's about to slap her, but she ignores him still "- and you want company. Though this is a very odd company."

"Leave him alone, Kujiragi-san!" Celty snaps. "As if you're in here because you behave better than people."

Kasane smirks. "Maybe," she says. "But everyone knows he's the bad guy in every situation." She picks up her cup, and _again_ Izaya and Shizuo exchange a look. I really want to know what they're thinking about. "And last I heard, you don't like him."

"I don't," Celty snaps, and I wonder if I stop being friends with Izaya she'll like me. "But I don't like you even more!" She tosses her head back, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "And besides, I think you deserve to be in detention more than he does. You're literally ruining people's lives. At least he has some decency to try and help a few people."

She glances over at me, and my heart thunders in my chest. Does she notice me? I hope she does. Maybe I could ask her if she wants a coffee some time. I hope she says yes. "Shizuo-san?" Kasane says, looking pointedly at him. "You always say shit about Izaya. Surely you can back me up here?"

He glances uncomfortably at Kasane, and at Celty, who are apparently friends. Every time I talk about her (which is a lot), he always says they're friends. I feel so jealous. Not to the point of hatred, but jealous. "I'd rather not getting involved in more fights," he said.

"Surprising," Izaya jokes, smirking at Shizuo. "You like fights, don't you, Shizu-chan?"

However, this time Shizuo doesn't rise to the bait, and looks down at his paper. Mr Sagamoto stands and opens his mouth to speak, but there is a loud crash outside. Instantly, both Shizuo and Izaya are standing side-by-side (but keeping a reasonable distance), looking out the window. Celty rises and stands beside Shizuo, looking out with him. I quickly stand and hurry over to take the vacant spot beside her. She looks at me and smiles gently, and my face heats up, my heart hammers and my palms go sweaty. Kasane takes the spot beside me. Outside there's a car crash. 

A black Toyota and a motorbike have collided, and there are already several students standing around. Someone with a helmet on, who I assume rode the motorbike, is laying on the ground. Mr Sagamoto sees him, swears, looks around and zones in on me. "Kishitani, keep an eye on this group while I'm gone," and with that he leaves, and we're left alone.

**Shizuo**   
**Monday, October 15, 5:13 PM**

Mr Saggymoto is gone quickly, and we're all left alone. I hate Izaya, and I still want to punch him for talking about me to Kadota when he shouldn't be, but I don't particularly like Kasane, either. And I really hate _Cracks_.

I only read it a few times, but I instantly disliked it. It was an entire blog about school gossip, and exposing private life matters onto the web. The thing is, everyone in Raira Academy reads it. So it's good to read it now and then to keep in the loop. But I try to minimise reading it as much as possible. Kasane makes everyone's life hell. I've read so much about students cheating, hooking up with others and things that should be left alone to last a lifetime. I once read an article about a guy I know called Yoshimune Miyoshi, who had been exposed by Kasane for taking testosterone. He basically got bullied for being born in the wrong body. And Kasane turned a blind eye. I hated her for that.

Yoshimune is actually doing a lot better nowadays, and he was so happy when he got a binder he didn't bother hiding it. At least he found happiness even after Kasane's post. I turn to said girl, who looks outside and turns away, bored. "How boring," she says, and I suddenly feel the urge to punch her. The motorbike rider could be _seriously_ hurt, and she's worried about it being boring?!

I fucking hate her.

Shinra shoots Celty a goo-goo eyed look and crosses over to his seat. I almost roll my eyes if I didn't know how serious he is. To him, Celty is a goddess, and she is oblivious. I glance over at Izaya, whose crossing over to his seat, except picking up his bag, pencil case, paper and pen and moving away from Kasane. One thing we have in common: we both don't like Kasane. "Isn't this special?" Kasane says, as if only now noticing that we're all a distance away from her. "A nerd." She gestures at Shinra. "A jock." She gestures at me. "A criminal." She gestures at Izaya. "And a princess." She points at Celty. "Stereotypical students, all trapped in a room together like _The Breakfast Club_."

"Nobody cares," Celty snaps, and looks down at the crash again. "Mr Saggymoto, I mean, Mr Sagamoto is down there right now."

I smile at her joke, and notice Izaya grin as well, before he hides it behind a mask of apathey, minus the smirk. "If that's the case," Shinra says, looking at Kasane. "What stereotype are you?"

She smiles knowingly, picking up the cup. "I'm the all-knowing blogger," she says.

"They didn't have an 'all-knowing blogger' in _The Breakfast Club_ ," I say. "There is no stereotype for that."

"But there is in life, Shizuo-kun," Kasane says, and winks. She raises the cup to her lips and downs it in one go, wiping away any excess water from her lips with her sleeve. She holds out the cup like it suddenly grew teeth and bit her. "This tastes like crap."

I roll my eyes, and then she drops it. I still think she's being dramatic until she drops to the ground and begins rolling as if in pain, clutching her stomach and snapping her jaw open and shut. "Kasane!" Izaya yells and leaps forward, crouching down. "Are you allergic to anything? Do you need an EpiPen?" She manages to shake her head in between rolls. "Shizuo, call 119!"

I'm so shocked by him using my real name it only registers when he adds a calm but urgent, "Hurry!" I race to my bag and pull out my phone. I don't know whether to dial 119 or 110, but I can see Kasane's starting to slow down in her rolls.

I punch in 119 so hard and fast my phone cracks, but I don't have time to worry about it. They pick up quickly, asking where I am. "Raira Academy High School," I say hurriedly, as Izaya tries to get Kasane to talk, whilst Celty stands in a corner, panicking, and Shinra comforts her, watching Izaya. "I don't know what's wrong."

"It could be an allergic reaction or something," Izaya calls from across the room. "Just tell them to hurry up!"

"It could be an allergic reaction," I repeat, hands trembling slightly, as Kasane stops moving altogether and Izaya begins CPR. "She's not moving." Izaya closes off her nose and blows into her mouth, and I know that he is terrified by the tension in his shoulders. "Please hurry."

I can hear sirens in the distance. Izaya's still trying to resusitate her, but she isn't moving. "They're on their way," I say breathlessly.

"Good," Izaya says, pumping her chest. "Shinra! You're a doctor, do something!"

Shinra jumps as if not expecting to be spoken to, and I guarantee he was too wrapped up in trying to comfort Celty that he forgot he knew medical stuff that could help. He pushes Izaya aside, presses an ear to her chest, and then two fingers to her neck. "Keep going," he says to Izaya, and Izaya is back on her chest, pumping it with his palms, and blocking her nose to breathe in. "Does she have allergies?"

"No," Celty says, shaking and I go towards her. She wraps her arms around my neck, and rests her head on my shoulder, beginning to cry. "She doesn't." If Shinra's jealous, he doesn't show it, just nods and presses his fingers to her neck again. He grimaces, which makes Celty sob harder. She's never been one for crying in front of people, and I'm surprised she's even crying for _Kasane_ , of all people.

The sirens are right outside now, and paramedics stream through the door. Izaya either doesn't notice them, or doesn't care, continuing CPR on Kasane, even though her lips are going blue. They move forward. One grabs her under her arms and Izaya grabs her ankles. They both hoist her onto a stretcher. "God help her," the paramedic says, and the only female paramedic in the room clasps her hands together in prayer.

They carry her out, and Mr Sagamoto is beside them, following them to the ambulance outside. Celty doesn't let go of me, and I don't let go of her. "Is she okay?" she whimpers.

Izaya stands, and puts his hands on his hips. The tension in his shoulders is even more tense than it was before. Shinra looks like he's regretting his decision to stay with Celty whilst Kasane rolled around on the ground. He opens his mouth to say something, but Izaya gets there first. "I don't think so."


	2. Home Again, Home Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to Nozomu7Yashilko for this lovely comment:
> 
> This premise is definitely an interesting one, I’m excited to see where it goes...  
> Why do you keep mentioning allergies, Izaya? Got any secrets?  
> It would be so like him to prank someone... I wonder...

**Celty**  
**Monday, October 15, 5:20 PM**

I can see Izaya, Shizuo and Shinra talking to the teachers. I can't breathe. I feel like I've just swallowed bleach. Shizuo had to pull away to talk to the teachers, and I really want his comfort now. I need my friend. I walk over, shaking. Izaya glances over at me and nudges Shizuo. He turns to me and offers his arm, which I gladly fold into. He's warm, and holds me as if trying to protect me from the horrible realisation of Kasane. 

"What happened?" Mr Saggymoto asked, walking into the room. "I heard Kasane collapsed."

"Yeah," Izaya said, shivering, and I can feel Shizuo shivering along with him. "She drank some water and collapsed. I thought it was weird, since she always has her water bottle with her."

"That's what I was thinking!" Shizuo said. "She carries that thing everywhere. It's not normal that it suddenly disappeared." Izaya nodded, and I guess that's why they kept looking at one another. 

Mr Saggymoto purses his lips and nods. "You kids should go home now," he said. "Go home and try to get back to normal. Miss Kujiragi is in good hands now."

I walk with Shizuo out to the front gate, whimpering unhappily. Izaya's close behind us, with Shinra to my right. "It's okay, Celty," Shinra said gently. "I bet that they're taking really good care of her." I can see both Shizuo and Izaya rolling their eyes. "She'll be okay."

Izaya makes a noise which I ignore, and smile at Shinra. "Thank you, Kishitani-kun," I say. His face goes a considerable shade of red. We reach the front of the school. "I don't have a car to ride."

"Uh, you can come with me!" Shinra says. "I have room for one more."

Shizuo and Izaya look at each other again, and for some reason I think that they must have a sort of telepathy, the way they keep glancing at each other like there's so much to say, but they have to do it alone. "Shizuo-kun, do you want to come?" I ask him, feeling uneasy like I always do when he's alone with Izaya.

"No thanks, Celty," he says. "I'll walk home. Have fun with Shinra. Don't let him annoy you to death."

I giggle and watch him walk away. I hear a revving and notice that Izaya's gone, hopping onto a motorbike. "It's this way," Shinra says, and I follow him to a small, ugly white car. He opens the door for me, and I slide in, feeling slightly awkward. I watch the world blur past as he drives. "Uh...where do you live?" he asks after a while.

"Oh!" I gasp. "I'm terribly sorry. I live at 24 Short Street." He nods and smiles. 

I know my mother will know what's going on. She always does. I don't know how, but she does. And as expected, she's standing on the porch when Shinra pulls in. I can tell she's curious, even though her Botox froze her expressions years ago. "Can you come in with me?" I ask, and immediately regret it. "You don't have to."

"I will," he says, smiling gently. He kills the engine and steps out, locking the car once I'm out.

"Celty!" My mother's concern isn't real. It's put on because there's a guest. She wants to know what happened. "Tell me what happened." I don't want to. Especially with her boyfriend, Conor, lurking behind her, pretending his curiosity is concern, just like my mother. He's about fifteen years younger than her. My dad was ten years younger than her. And her boyfriend before Conor was fourteen years younger. "Who's the boy?"

"This is Kishitani-kun," I say. "He's a friend at school." I can see him go a little red again.

"I'm Kishitani Shinra," he says, and bows his head respectfully. "How are you, Ms Sturluson?"

She blushes, and I roll my eyes slightly. A cute boy is all she needs to keep herself going. "I'm good, thank you, Mr Kishitani," she says. "Please come in and tell me what happened."

I pass her quickly, and Shinra follows behind as she turns to Conor. "I'm sorry I couldn't be much help, Kishitani-kun," I say as I enter the kitchen. "Who would've known Orihara Izaya would jump to the rescue like that? And Shizuo-kun was really helpful as well. I was the only one who didn't do much."

"I was just as shocked as you were," Shinra says. "Everyone was. I think Orihara-kun only jumped to help because he's used to helping his sisters when they're in trouble. His reactions are on-point. Heiwajima-kun was just as shocked as you were. He was delayed, remember? And so was I. I wish I had moved faster."

"She's an awful human," I say. "But she was suffering. What do we do?"

"For now," Shinra says, sitting across from me and gently putting his hand over mine. "We just have to wait and hope she's alright." I look up at him, feeling like crying again. I don't move my hand.

**Izaya**  
**Monday, October 15, 5:23 PM**

Whilst Shinra drove away with Celty to flirt, I got on top of my bike and drove away. Shizu-chan was already gone, walking home. Not my problem anymore. I pass him in the street, and something makes me do a U-turn and pull up beside him. "Shizu-chan!" I call, and he turns. "You want a ride?"

"Seriously?" Shizu-chan says, looking at the bike and me. "You'd probably purposely crash it just to kill me."

I smirk and put my chin on my hand. "Maybe," I say. "But that would be unfortunate for me. I would die if you do. And also, it would cost a lot to repair it." I pat my bike's wheel affectionately. "Relax, I won't crash. I'm just being friendly."

Shizu-chan scoffs as if he can't believe I can be nice, but looks around for a helmet. I take mine off and toss it to him. He catches it in his hands. "I only have one," I say. "And it might be a bit tight. You'll have to loosen it a bit."

He glances over it, turning it over in his hands, as if unsure how to use it, and finally slips it over his head, buckling it. As predicted, it nips his skin, but he doesn't adjust it. "It's heavy," he says, his voice slightly muffled.

"Duh," I say. "It's meant to protect the skull from cracking."

He hesitates only briefly before swinging one leg over, fidgeting awkwardly, and wrapping his arms around my waist. I can tell he's trying to be gentle, but his grip is like a vice. I start the bike up, and it purrs under my hands. Shizu-chan hugs me tighter, tense. "Shouldn't you get a second helmet?" he asks as I wheel it out.

"I give the girls rides home most of the time," I say. "But they have their own helmets. Why, are you worried about me?"

He scoffs. "No way," he says. "Don't say such creepy fucking things." I laugh. 

He nods and holds on (tightly) as we start moving. I purposely slow down so he doesn't freak out and crush my ribs. "What just happened?" he says. "With Kasane, I mean."

I pause a moment before saying something. "I don't really know," I say. "It was weird, wasn't it? Where was her water bottle?"

"Yeah, that was really weird," he says. "She looked like she was going to die." I purse my lips. Yeah, that's exactly what she looked like. It was awful. "Poor Celty," he adds. "She was so shocked. And Shinra was so useless." 

"You think?" I ask, and yell it over the wind. Even though we're only moving at a slow pace, the wind still slaps me in the face. It flings my hair away from my face, but stings my eyes and makes it hard to speak. It's been ages since I last rode without a helmet. I used to do it when I thought it looked badass. But then Kururi got scared that if I crashed I would die from cracked skull. So I bought a helmet she liked, and haven't really taken it off when riding since. "I mean, I get that he's in love. But he knew the most medical stuff out of all of us, and he spent that time staring at whats-her-name."

"Celty," Shizu-chan says, and to my utter surprise, he doesn't sound mad. "You know her name."

"Why should I?" I ask. She's the type of popular girl that only cares about the latest gossip and what's new in Jimmy Choo's world. It's pathetic. She's alright looking, but hasn't got much to offer besides her looks.

"Because we've all just seen Kasane nearly die," he says, like that settles things.

"You really are a protozoan, Shizu-chan," I say, and he chuckles a little, which surprises me. I enjoy Shizu-chan's company, even though I hate him. He's not boring. The only person I can't predict.

"You surprised me, flea," he says. "How did you know what to do?"

"I didn't," I admit. "But my sister has a peanut allergy. It looked like she was having an allergic reaction, so I just did what I usually do for Mairu. Well, except the EpiPen part. Mairu always has her EpiPen nearby." He hums and I feel it vibrate down my back. "Where do you live?"

"Torundike Avenue," he says. "Past the fountain in town, and then turn right on Derutora Circut." 

I nod slightly, and he puts his head against my shoulder, and I bet he's got his eyes closed tight or something. His house is a beautiful two-storey Victorian-style house with loads of trees and flowers. There's a dog sitting on the front porch. I tense. I hate dogs. Especially big dogs, like this one. It's a massive Boxer, with an ugly squished face and eyes like Shizu-chan's. 

Shizu-chan climbs off, fumbling with the buckle, but he can't get it. "I told you you should have loosened it," I say, reaching up and clicking it open. He takes it off carefully and gives it to me. His hair is smoothed down into the helmet's shape.

"That was terrifying," he says. "Do you want to come in?" I glance at the dog, which bounds towards the gate, barking for Shizu-chan. He must see it because he turns and looks at the dog. "Honey won't hurt you. She's a big softie."

"No thanks," I say, putting the helmet on. "I've got to pick up my sister's anyway."

Shizu-chan shrugs, and his phone buzzes. He looks down and his eyes fall. He holds it out. There's a text message from someone. It reads:

_To Heiwajima Shizuo, Orihara Izaya, Sturluson Celty and Kishitani Shinra,_  
_This is the medical staff at Ikebukuro Hospital texting to inform you that your friend, Kujiragi Kasane, has unfortunately passed away upon arrival at the hospital. We thank you for calling and letting us try to help her._  
_Thank you,_  
_The Ikebukuro Hospital._

"She's dead," I say, and when our eyes meet, I can see the awful truth reflected in his irises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you want a shout-out? Leave a comment down below and for the posting of the next chapter, I'll give you a shout-out! If you want a chance, leave the codeword Cracks.


	3. Suspisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Nozomu7Yashilko for this awesome comment:
> 
> Woah. A shout out. :0  
> It seems I’m late (my dad brought a kitten home so everything else is second priority..) but now I’ll have to try and one up my own comment...
> 
> It’s almost comical to see Shinra as a nervous school boy, with definite mommy issues instead of the borderline-psychopathic doctor with definite mommy issues we get in canon. But you can tell he’s still Shinra in essence. And Izaya here just... knows. That Shinra’s not doing *anything* selflessly. My favourite friend dynamic in the whole of the series is those two and it’s funny that in this fic, Izaya actually has some kind of leverage over him, because of his schoolboy crush on Celty; he can tease him about it. Though if that actually bothers Shinra the world may never know..
> 
> As far as I know Mairu doesn’t have a peanut allergy... either in this universe she does or Izaya’s lying... but why?
> 
> I’m excited that you have a different dynamic between Shizuo and him, it’s partially civil? I wonder if that’s because Izaya in this case is the “lower class” one instead of Shizuo. Izaya’s fairly well off in canon but if he’s the “criminal” and sees Shizuo’s house as beautiful I’m going to assume that’s not so here. (Also no parent in their right mind would let their kid ride a motorcycle so I’m guessing they’re all but as affectionate as in canon...)  
> If Shizuo was a rich jock and Izaya was poor, Izaya wouldn’t mess with him, would he? There could be real consequences to that. I’m guessing that’s why Izaya is so friendly? I can’t wait to see how that dynamic unfolds!
> 
> And Celty’s mother huh? Oof to her. If Shinra was any other boy he’d probably go for her like she wants—“hot foreign moms” are a bit of an archetype.  
> I wonder if that’s why this Celty is so popular at school? Japan does fetishize blue eyes and western features a lot, hell, Mikado even has blue eyes... then again Izaya and his sisters have red eyes in the novels... I digress.
> 
> Lol sorry for the wall of text, I like to theorize a bit, then see what I get right. I guess I’ll just have to see. ;)
> 
> \----
> 
> Because I loved a lot of comments I got, I'm also going to shout out Raven_Elders, who has read the novel this fic is inspired by and left this comment after I replied to their previous:
> 
> Ooh, so [redacted] isn't what happens? I'd love to see your take on it.
> 
> \----
> 
> And also, to clear up your confusion. In this universe, Mairu does have a peanut allergy. Sorry if anyone was confused. On to the story!

**Shinra**   
**Friday, October 15, 8:50 AM**

We're all in shock, I can tell. I don't need to see Izaya and Shizuo personally to know they're in shock. When we heard, Celty once again went into tears, sobbing over Kasane, even though Kasane is a horrible human being. I think all of us need some time to process, but my father, the grump he is, sends me off to school. And most of us are there. Shizuo, staring out the window with downcast eyes. Celty, sitting just in front of him with bags under her gorgeous eyes. Izaya isn't around, but usually I can tie it to an explanation or guess. He could've slept in, or he could be meeting a friend of his to get weed and painkillers for his drug business. 

I slide into my seat, beside Celty and she smiles tiredly at me. Mr Sagamoto stands at the front of the classroom, tapping his desk with his finger as he waits for the rest of the students to enter. He keeps shooting glances at all of us, and I get what Kasane meant when she said he acts like a paedophile. The doors slide open and Izaya walks in alongside Kadota, who sits between him and Shizuo. Shizuo looks like he wants to say something but turns away.

"Not so fast, Orihara-san," Mr Sagamoto said. "You four are to go down to the principals office directly after class." 

We all glance at each other, and Shizuo's eyes linger on Izaya. He definitely wants to say something, but I have no clue what. I can't say I'm not curious, but it's none of my business. The rest of the homeroom file in, and Mr Sagamoto pulls a piece of paper from his pocket. It's wrinkled and looks like it's had coffee spilt on it. "I regret to inform you all," he said, clearing his throat. "That yesterday your fellow student, Kujiragi Kasane, drank a lethal dose of botulinum yesterday after school. Medical help was called and arrived quickly, but unfortunately, it was too late for her. She died on the way to the hospital."

I glance at Celty, who looks on the verge of tears again. Shizuo reaches over and gently rubs her shoulder. She grabs his hand and holds it, gritting her teeth. Jealously lashes through me, piercing my heart. Why does Shizuo get the privilege of Celty's touch? I turn away before she can see my ugly jealousy. 

A lot of people have their phones out and open to the _Cracks_ website. The thing is, everyone believes _Cracks_. Kasane started it after she heard about a few gossip points that turned out to be true. She had sources all over the school, and worded every entry carefully, picking only the best things out for her website. Most people either denied it or ignored it but she was never wrong. That's why everyone hated her. I've never been featured. I'm too good for that. There's only one thing I did that she could've reported. But now she won't ever. 

"There will be a memorial service for her on Saturday this week," Mr Sagamoto said. "And grief counselling for anyone who needs it."

The bell goes and Shizuo stands, striding to Izaya's side, and they walk out side by side. I forget to be suspicious when Celty brings herself up next to me. "Hey," she says, sadly. "Thank you for yesterday."

"N-Not a problem," I say, smiling a little too widely. "It's all g-good." I duck my head. "I-I guess we should go?"

She nods, and we walk out, side by side. "Shizuo said he rode with Izaya yesterday," she said.

I raise my head in surprise. "He _did_?" I ask. "But they -"

"Don't like each other, yeah," she finished. "I found it odd, too. The weird thing is, Shizuo said he didn't want to kill him like usual."

We enter the office and check-in with the secretary. She tells us to sit and wait in the hallway. Izaya and Shizuo are already there, sitting side-by-side, which makes me sort of scared. They'd only get along if the world is ending. Then again, it is ending for us, sort of. Kasane's death is a traumatic ordeal, and I have no doubt in my mind that we're all going to need some counselling for it. Not that Izaya would accept it.

I doubt he can afford it. He's never said openly that he's poor, but he works every evening at a crappy restaurant and all weekend if he's lucky. And he never gets lunch here, even though it's a lot better than the rice he always brings. 

The principal steps out and we all go into her office. Mrs Ishida is a really nice lady, though she doesn't look it. "Please take a seat," she says, and Shizuo and Izaya sit next to each other again. I glanced at them and sat down. A policeman stood beside her. "Now we can begin."

**Shizuo**   
**Friday, October 15, 9:00 AM**

When we walked into the office, and I saw the policeman, I kind of guessed what was going on. To be honest, both the policeman and Principal Ishida look related. They're both somewhat foreigners. They've got gorgeous blue eyes and freckled cheeks but dark brown hair and skin tone like ours. Not to mention they both have a massive wart on their nose, though Mrs Ishida's is on the bridge and his is on the side. "Children, this is Officer Shu," Mrs Ishida says, and we each shake his hand in turn. 

"It's nice to meet you all," he said, and his voice sort of startles me. It's not the gravelly, deep voice I expected, but a high-pitched sort of whine. I can tell it's going to get annoying very fast. "This shouldn't take long. After speaking with the Kujiragi family and receiving back autopsy reports -"

"Don't those usually take longer?" Shinra ask, and Izaya pinches him to shut him up.

"Preliminary results can be available within a few days," Shu says. "Anyway, the results said that Miss Kujiragi ingested a large amount of botulinum shortly before her death. I have a few questions concerning this."

"I have a question," Izaya says and I can't help but glance over. His mouth is set in a firm line and the tension in his shoulders I saw when Kasane was dying have returned. "What the hell is botulinum doing in the school? It's a poison, right? A type that can kill almost instantly? How did it get in the school unless it's used for cleaning and were was her water bottle?"

Now that he mentions it, I'm curious, too. What was a poison doing in the school? It could've been used for cleaning, but I don't think so. "We still aren't sure," Officer Shu says. "But one of the questions I want to ask is what she drank beforehand."

"She had a cup of water," I say, and Izaya nods. "I found it odd."

"How so?" Shu asked. I feel rather than see all eyes on me, some curious, some supportive, one outright suspicious. I've never felt more on-the-spot than now.

"Because she always carries around her water bottle," Izaya jumps in. "Surely you must know about it? It's a pink metal bottle with about five thousand dents in it."

"We did know that," Officer Shu says, looking away from me. I feel myself relax a little, but part of me is cursing myself. Now I owe Izaya more. That bastard. "We found out that the botulinum was in the cup she drank from. We're trying to figure out how botulinum got in the cup in the first place." We all glance at each other. It's not a suspicious glance, more like we're all trying to figure it out. I know Shinra and Celty would never do it. Celty might've hated Kasane, might still hate her, but she would never kill someone. And Shinra's way too nervous and goody-two-shoes to pull something like this. Izaya...I'm pretty sure it's not him. I don't trust him, and I don't know him at all, but he doesn't seem the type to kill someone. I don't know anymore. "Does anyone remember where Miss Kujiragi got the cup from?"

"She got it from the cooler at the back of the class," Celty says. "There were loads of plastic cups there."

"Was the cup upside down or standing up?" Officer Shu asks.

"It was standing up," Shinra said. "But botulinum smells really strong, doesn't it? We would've noticed if it was already in there, and so would she. She's too smart to drink random liquids."

"Yeah," I agree. "But she talked before she drank it." I glance at Izaya. "Asked you about the phones."

"Phones?" Shu asks, looking at us all.

"Someone planted phones in our bags," Shinra explains. "That's why we were in detention. She thought it was Izaya."

Izaya glares at him. "Well it wasn't," he snaps defensively.

"I'm not saying it was," Shinra says, sounding like he didn't care but looking slightly guilty.

"It sounded like it," Izaya says, crossing his arms.

"There's no need to fight," Celty says. Shinra blushes. "We know you didn't do it, Orihara-san."

He frowns but looks away from the two of them. "Any of you kids have any trouble with Kujiragi?" Officer Shu askes, making a note of something. "I've heard about the website, Cracks. Any of you on it?"

Everyone shakes their heads except Izaya. "Loads of times," he says. 

"About what?" Officer Shu asks.

"Stupid things I do in my personal life," Izaya says. "Nothing important."

"Did it bother you, being talked about?" Officer Shu asks, and I kind of want to punch the suspicious look off his face.

"Not really," Izaya says. He looks like he means it. I believe him, which surprises me. God, what is wrong with me?!

"Alright, that'll be all for now," Officer Shu says. "Take some time off."

I'm walking home again when Izaya pulls up beside me on his bike. "Need a lift?" he asks, and tosses me a helmet. When'd he get this one?

I hesitate, holding it in front of me. "Just so you know," I say. "This doesn't make us friends."

Izaya laughs, and it doesn't pierce my eardrums like it usually does. "Why would you think that, Shizu-chan?" he asks. "Come on, I'm not going to do anything."

I shrug, slipping it on and climb onto the back, wrapping my arms around his waist. "We'll never be friends," I say.

"Duh," Izaya says.

For some reason, I can't help wondering...why don't I hate him like usual?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you want a shout-out? Leave a comment down below and for the posting of the next chapter, I'll give you a shout-out!

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos if you enjoyed it, that would be greatly appreciated.  
> Follow my page for more Durarara!!! stories.  
> Comment any suggestions and any tips on writing better.  
> Thank you. Tune in next month.


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